Skillings Construction staying loyal to Volvo equipment

Deconstruction specialists continue to use Volvo excavators for large-scale projects

FEW sights are as captivating as seeing a great hulking block of concrete being neatly folded on to its footprint, after having been dismantled by demolition professionals. It is a scene familiar to David Skillings, owner of UK-based Skillings Crushing Construction, as he presides over his company’s latest jobsite. 

A reinforced concrete wall towers over the plot at a height of 5m (16.4ft). After just a moment or two of resistance, the concrete starts to melt away like a slab of butter on a hot day.

Motioning to the Volvo excavators that have leveled the jobsite, Mr Skillings said: ‘Proper kit, that is. The machines have never been beaten by anything they’ve tackled.’ The two Volvo excavators are dismantling four clean water-storage tanks, near Doncaster. The foundations are also being drilled out to prepare the site for housing. 

Such projects are the bread and butter of Skillings’ business. Established nearly two decades ago by Mr Skillings and his wife, Jan, the Burnley-based company built its reputation in the UK as a demolition and remediation specialist for large-scale projects.

Plenty of work called for a strong team and an equally strong fleet of machines. Today, the company employs 17 people, who Mr Skillings credits for the company’s continued success. ‘I am blessed with good staff,’ he said. ‘They all want to do well for the company and it’s all about doing a safe and productive job.’ 

Skillings employees operate a fleet of 20 machines, including excavators, two crushers and a tracked dozer. The company’s EC700 machine is one of seven specially reinforced Volvo excavators in Skillings’ fleet.

Two of the larger excavators – the EC700C and EC300E – work in unison, reducing thousands of tonnes of concrete to a mound of rubble. Bringing down the walls is the work of the 70-tonne EC700C unit, while the Volvo EC300E machine crushes the concrete into more manageable pieces and separates the mangled steel reinforcing bars. 

Both machines are fitted with quick-fit, hydraulic rotating pulverizers or ‘munchers’ that rotate 360°, ensuring the material is held firmly in the pulverizer’s jaws. Excavated material is subsequently processed through one of the company’s on-site crushers to produce a variety of recycled aggregates. 

Operating an excavator is indeed a demanding job that requires full concentration. To work safely and maintain high levels of productivity, Mr Skillings explain that one of the Volvo excavators’ most important features is their high level of comfort, which allows the operators to meet the full potential of delivering productivity without distraction.

Ian Watkinson, who operates the Volvo EC700C excavator for Skillings, commented: ‘I love them – they’re fantastic. They sit really well, whatever the terrain, and make you feel safe. Turn on the key and machine starts instantly and every time.”

Fellow operator Matt Wright echoes Mr Watkinson’s sentiments. Among his favourite features are the smooth hydraulics, responsive controls and cab comfort. ‘I’m generally working on concrete, but the cab dampers and the air-seat mean there are no aches and pains at the end of the day,’ he said.